Comments on: House of the Week: Colonial in Ballstonhttp://blog.timesunion.com/realestate/house-of-the-week-colonial-in-ballston/11921/
Real estate, development and retail in New York's Capital RegionMon, 02 Mar 2015 23:59:56 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.8.3By: Los Angeles Real Estatehttp://blog.timesunion.com/realestate/house-of-the-week-colonial-in-ballston/11921/comment-page-2/#comment-61458
Mon, 13 Aug 2012 21:02:41 +0000http://blog.timesunion.com/realestate/?p=11921#comment-61458Not a bad price for a 3000 SQFT Property. Here in Los Angeles a 3000 SQFT Property can start at 700k.
]]>By: dirt2http://blog.timesunion.com/realestate/house-of-the-week-colonial-in-ballston/11921/comment-page-2/#comment-58489
Tue, 26 Jun 2012 22:42:27 +0000http://blog.timesunion.com/realestate/?p=11921#comment-58489@ #2 Brian, your tax bill in Schenectady doesn’t get you garbage pickup either, it’s a separate fee. But you know that already.
]]>By: Indigohttp://blog.timesunion.com/realestate/house-of-the-week-colonial-in-ballston/11921/comment-page-2/#comment-58482
Tue, 26 Jun 2012 20:10:44 +0000http://blog.timesunion.com/realestate/?p=11921#comment-58482Another thing to consider, this property is located very near to the proposed Dolomite hot asphalt project at Curtis Industrial Park that is going through the Town of Ballston Planning Board.

If you’ve read any of the meeting minutes for the nights when Dolomite is presenting, you’ll know this is not an uncontentious project.

]]>By: Malta momhttp://blog.timesunion.com/realestate/house-of-the-week-colonial-in-ballston/11921/comment-page-2/#comment-58469
Tue, 26 Jun 2012 17:39:26 +0000http://blog.timesunion.com/realestate/?p=11921#comment-58469This is a lovely home and I rather like it, but as Leslie #30 commented, there is significant construction proposed for the area immdiately around that development. I’d want to know more about that before I’d consider buying it. There was also talk a few years ago about someone building a car wash immediately adjacent to this property (where a historic stone house was torn down) so that would concern me as well. It’s a nice development itself, but not nearly as “country” as one would expect from those photos. Very near Rt. 67 and the Curtis Lumber train tracks.

But I think the builder/owner put some really nice thought into this home, and there are unusual and lovely touches throughout.

]]>By: Lesliehttp://blog.timesunion.com/realestate/house-of-the-week-colonial-in-ballston/11921/comment-page-1/#comment-58450
Tue, 26 Jun 2012 12:33:12 +0000http://blog.timesunion.com/realestate/?p=11921#comment-58450I live 3 miles from this property, in the Town of Ballston and in the Ballston Spa school district. The Town of Ballston has little to no Town tax, I believe I pay less than $500 per year, and most of that is for the water district, meaning that in 15 years when the bond to finance water line construction is over, that amount will go away. My house is assessed at $225,000, so more than half the price of this home. My total tax bill is $4,000, most of which is school taxes.

Based upon this, I would expect the new homeowner to grieve the assessment and the taxes. I know that Ballston recently had a re-assessment (possibly in 2010), so that might be why the taxes are so high, since this house is priced rather high.

Also, there is an approved subdivision on the north side of this subdivision. Not sure what side of the road this house is on, but if it’s on the north side of the road, there will be lots of homes in their backyard.

]]>By: katehttp://blog.timesunion.com/realestate/house-of-the-week-colonial-in-ballston/11921/comment-page-1/#comment-58316
Sun, 24 Jun 2012 22:55:06 +0000http://blog.timesunion.com/realestate/?p=11921#comment-58316I agree about the taxes being unconscionable, and I think the same about the situation of the commenter who is paying $11,000 in Guilderland. I know Guilderland very well — grew up there and loads of family is still there. It’s ridiculous what you get for the taxes and what you still have to pay for. Poor tasting water, expensive trash pick up, ugly four lane highway through town. I do not know Ballston, but can’t imagine how $10,000 in taxes is justified.
]]>By: Cloudmystichttp://blog.timesunion.com/realestate/house-of-the-week-colonial-in-ballston/11921/comment-page-1/#comment-58295
Sun, 24 Jun 2012 12:30:02 +0000http://blog.timesunion.com/realestate/?p=11921#comment-58295@23 – School taxes have nothing to do with Republican or Democrat. School budgets are voted on by the residents of the district. Despite paying through the nose, people are pretty ill informed about the process. They keep voting in these ridiculous budgets and amendments ($45,000 for a mini-van in Schodack for example) and then complain that their taxes are too high.
]]>By: Albany Landlordhttp://blog.timesunion.com/realestate/house-of-the-week-colonial-in-ballston/11921/comment-page-1/#comment-58257
Sun, 24 Jun 2012 01:21:37 +0000http://blog.timesunion.com/realestate/?p=11921#comment-58257This is definitely what buyers want, having said that the kitchen is very inefficient, as with many large kitchens. Way too much space in the middle are between the stove counter, fridge, and island counter where most of the work will be done. But then again many people don’t cook anymore and having it look good and be large may be more important to them.

The pool really surprised me too, but it is pretty easy to remove if the buyers don’t want it, as long as the yard can be easily adjusted.

It’s easy/cheap enough to paint rooms and install or replace carpeting, but kitchens and bathrooms are another story. Kitchen floors, cabinets, countertops, and appliances all cost a decent amount of money to replace. The same is true with bathroom floors and walls, vanities, and bathtubs/showers. Depending on what’s being replaced, it can also involve a lot of labor as well. That’s why it’s foolish to complain about the carpeting in the master bedroom or the paint color in the dining room, but it’s understandable to complain about the kitchen where it will cost more to redo it to the buyer’s preferences.

@23:

The idea that Republicans = lower taxes went out the window a long time ago.